Improvement in cams for knitting-machines



W. J. MGDEVITT; 0am for Knitting-Machine.

No. 202,567. P atented April 16, 1878.

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N. PETERS, PHOTO-L|THOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. MODEVITT, OF PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAMS FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 202,067, dated April16, 1878 application filed January 25, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. MoDEvITT, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cams forKnitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to so construct the needle-operating camsof a knitting-machine that the latter can be readily adapted for theproduction of either plain or tuck work; and this object I attain in thefollowing manner, reference being had to the accoinpanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a sectional view of an ordinary circular head providedwith two of my improved cams; Fig. 2, a perspective view of an ordinaryplain cam; Fig. 3, a perspective view of an ordinary tuck'cam; and Figs.4 and5,

perspective views of my improved cam.

Ordinary knitting-machines, for the production of plain or horizontalstriped work, are provided with cams of the character shown in Fig. 2;and when it is desired to produce what is known as tuck \vork that is,work in which the continuity of the horizontal stripes is interrupted atone or more points, so as to produce the effect of a vertical stripe, asshown in the diagram, Fig. 6it becomes necessary to remove one or moreof the plain cams and substitute therefor cams of the character shown inFig. 3. These cams are reduced in thickness at the bottom, so that theneedles having recessed projections, or, as they are technically termed,cut steels, will not be acted upon by the lower ends of the cams, theefi'ect of this being that the needles are not depressed to such a pointthat they will throw 05 their stitches, the latter not being thrown offuntil the next plain camis reached, the new thread, in the meantime,being merely laid straight along the back of the fabric.

It is not practicable, according to this plan, to change the cams exceptat comparatively long intervals, owing to the fact that the en.- tirehead has to be taken apart when such a change is to be made.

The object of my invention is to efi'ect the changing of the cams duringthe working of the machine, and at intervals as short as may be desired.This object I attain by cutting away the lower end of the cam a andadapting to the cut portion a block, b, which, in the present instance,is carried by an arm, d, so

that by adjusting said arm the face of the block b may be brought outflush with the face of the cam a, so as to form a plain cam, as in Fig.4, or may be withdrawn so as to form a tuck-cam with a recessed lowerend, as shown in Fig. 5.

The arm 01 may be placed under the control of a suitable pattern device,so thatthe changing of the cams may be efiected automatically to accordwith the desired pattern of the work to be produced.

I claim as my invention The combination of the cam a with the block b,forming part of the cam, but rendered adjustable transversely, allsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. J. MGDEVITT. l/Vitnessesz HARRY A. CRAWFORD, HARRY SMITH.

